SignatureCare Emergency Center Sees Uptick in COVID-19 Cases as School Year Begins in Texas
The 24-hour ER operator cautioned that even though the COVID-19 mortality rate remains low, staying vigilant as kids return to classes is important.
HOUSTON, TX – This week, SignatureCare Emergency Center reported an uptick in the number of patients coming into its Texas emergency rooms with COVID-19 symptoms.
SignatureCare owns and manages 20 emergency room locations throughout Texas, including nine in Houston area. Other emergency rooms are located in Atascocita/Humble, Spring, College Station/Bryan, Lewisville, Odessa, Paris, Austin, Pflugerville, Texarkana, Midland, and Killeen.
According to Dr. Chris Langan, SignatureCare’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), the company expects the upward trend to continue as the school year begins.
“We have been seeing a slight uptick in COVID cases, and we expect to see more as the school year begins. The COVID mortality rate still remains at an all-time low,” he said this week.
He cautioned Texans to follow current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) if they believe they may have contracted COVID-19.
“Our current CDC guidance is that symptomatic individuals who test positive should stay home the first 5 days from initial symptom onset. Following that, they should wear masks for days 6-10 of the illness,” Dr. Langan said.
“Our current CDC guidance is that symptomatic individuals who test positive should stay home the first 5 days from initial symptom onset. Following that, they should wear masks for days 6-10 of the illness.”
He added that there is no need to get a COVID-19 test if you are not showing symptoms, but if you decide to test and your result comes back positive, then you should take steps immediately to avoid spreading the virus.
“Asymptomatic individuals should not be getting tested for COVID. However, if you are asymptomatic and for some reason did a COVID test and are positive, please wear a mask for 5 days and monitor yourself for any respiratory symptoms,” he continued.
The CDC said this week that the incidence of COVID-19 in Texas is still relatively low but told residents to take precautionary measures to avoid contracting the virus.
“Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, maintain ventilation improvements, avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19, follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
“If you are at high risk of getting very sick, talk with a healthcare provider about additional prevention actions. People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask or respirator when indoors in public,” the CDC said.
According to the latest CDC estimates, EG.5, a spinoff of the XBB recombinant strain of Omicron, is causing about 17% of new Covid-19 cases in the country, compared with 16% for the next most common lineage, XBB.1.16.
If you believe you may have been exposed to COVID-19 or you test positive for the virus, visit a nearby SignatureCare Emergency Center. Our ERs are open 24 hours, including during the holidays.
About SignatureCare Emergency Center
Houston, TX-based SignatureCare Emergency Center owns 24-hour emergency centers throughout Texas, including nine ER locations in the Houston area (Montrose, Houston Heights, Cypress/FM 1960, Copperfield, Memorial City, Westchase, Bellaire, Mission Bend/Sugar Land, and Stafford), Atascocita/Humble, Killeen, Austin, College Station/Bryan, Paris, Midland, Odessa, Pflugerville, Texarkana, Spring, and Lewisville, TX.
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